Houghton Makes Energy Prize Semifinals
by Jennifer Donovan, director of news and media relations
Tomorrow, Houghton County is hosting a community-wide celebration as Georgetown University announces that the county has advanced to the semifinals in the national Georgetown University Energy Prize. Many Michigan Tech faculty, staff and students are helping promote Houghton County’s entry, an initiative launched and led by Michigan Tech computer science graduate student Abhilash Kantamneni.
“We have a visionary local government that’s willing to work with Michigan Tech and help educate the community,” Kantamneni said. “We have one of the best engineering schools in the US, with huge expertise in green energy. Together, we could be a model community, an example for everyone.”
Houghton County Dems to host Solar Power presentation TONIGHT, Jan. 7, at Super 8
The meeting will feature a presentation by Abhilash “Abhi” Kantamnemi, a research engineer at the Keweenaw Research Center. He has done extensive research into the viability of solar power in the Upper Peninsula and has helped several area residents install solar power for themselves.
“The basics of solar is really pretty straightforward; a lot of people in the area have installed solar themselves,” Kantamnemi said. “Your installs could be 50 percent cheaper if you DIY (do it yourself).”
Houghton energy team wants community oversight
The Houghton Energy Efficiency Team, or HEET, had its monthly meeting Tuesday to discuss forming a Community Advisory Board. The six–person board includes supporters from local organizations and government officials.
“We also need a sort of oversight from members of the community to help regulate the ideas that they come up with to see what is feasible and what is not and to make sure that the ideas that we propose are accessible to every member of the community,” HEET member Abhi Kantamneni said.
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Houghton County, HEET celebrate semifinalist status for Georgetown University Energy Prize competition
At the Sept. 17, 2014, Community Visioning Meeting for Saving Energy, held at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock, HEET organizer Abhilash (“Abhi”) Kantamneni, a PhD student in Computer Science at Michigan Tech and a researcher in solar energy, points out that electric rates for the Upper Peninsula are among the highest in the U.S.